Secrets of Hallstead House (25 page)

“Use my room,” suggested Stephan.

We watched him go. There was nothing more to say after that. There would be time for talking in the days to come. Alex went into her room and closed the door. I lay awake listening to the muffled sounds of her sobs, wishing I could help but knowing that Alex needed to face this pain alone.

I awoke the next morning to Alex sitting on the sofa with me.

“I’m going to be okay,” she stated.

I smiled. We would all be okay. No more fear, no more threats, no more danger. Healing lay ahead.

M
any years have passed since that night, and though I try not to, I think about it often.

The leaning tree was toppled in the storm. Alex had mixed feelings when she learned it was gone. So many memories—some joyful, some painful.

I recovered from my physical injuries quickly; the emotional ones would last much longer. I stayed on as Alex’s nurse, and she eventually regained the abilities she’d had before her fall. She started painting again, and her old talent is still there. Though she is still tough and spry, she has slowed down a bit. But she still takes walks and loves to tell stories of her childhood. She no longer runs HSH Oil; however, she keeps a close eye on the business.

Vali and Leland never made the move to Pine Island that autumn. They decided abruptly to retire to the Midwest; their belongings were already packed, so they left quickly and quietly. But not before I confronted them about their actions toward me. As it turned out, I finally solved the mystery of my missing photo album. Vali had been the one who took it. Out of curiosity, she said, but I knew better. She had taken the album to intimidate me. And it had been Leland who was spying on me on the balcony on my first day on Hallstead Island.

Their decision to move back to the Midwest was best for everyone. They had been loyal to Alex for many years, but the time had come for them to go. Alex found a wonderful local couple to help her manage her homes.

Stephan continued working closely with Alex, but Will took a job with a different company. At Stephan’s urging, he decided that it was time for him to get some experience away from the family business. He eventually came back to take Stephan’s job upon his retirement. We still see Stephan and Will from time to time here on the river.

Brandt eventually came to the realization that his relationship with Giselle had not been healthy for either of them. He had been concerned about her behavior for quite some time, but he had been reluctant to discuss it with her. Several years after Giselle’s death, he married a wonderful woman, and they visit frequently.

As for Pete and me, he is by my side, helping me to dispel the nightmares that crop up occasionally. We live in Summerplace, but I prefer to call it Hallstead House. I gradually conquered my fear of boats, learned to swim, and have become a proud river rat.

Not long after the attack, Pete showed me an amazing sight. I was enjoying a cup of coffee early one morning when he came in and grabbed my hand, pulling me along as we walked quickly toward the boathouse. When we emerged from the woods, the sun was rising and the surface of the water was covered with a thick layer of mist. It was as if I could step off the island onto a blanket of swirling opaque softness. Pete called it sea smoke; it is a rare treat, he said, a thick fog that forms over the water, usually in the fall. It was a hauntingly beautiful scene, smudging the outlines of the islands and the trees around it like a watercolor. We watched, hand in hand, until the sea smoke gradually lifted and we could see the river clearly again.

Amy M. Reade
grew up in northern New York, just south of the Canadian border, and spent her weekends and summers on the Saint Lawrence River. She attended Cornell University and then went on to law school at Indiana University in Bloomington. She practiced law in New York City before moving to southern New Jersey, where, in addition to writing, she is a wife, a full-time mom, and a volunteer in school, church, and community groups. She lives just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean with her husband and three children as well as a dog, two cats, and a fish. She loves cooking and all things Hawaii and is currently at work on her next novel. Visit her on the web at
http://www.amymreade.com
and
http://amreade.wordpress.com
.

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Copyright © 2014 by Amy M. Reade

 

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

 

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First Electronic Edition: July 2014
eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-299-3
eISBN-10: 1-60183-299-0

ISBN: 978-1-6018-3299-3